


Stories of the Second Self: Hoop of Nations

by John_Steiner



Series: Alter Idem [195]
Category: Urban Fantasy - Fandom, post-apocalyptic - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:00:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26458345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Steiner/pseuds/John_Steiner
Summary: Kinisha Johnson and her adopted son break off from the other giants of Jötunheimr to hunt for food. However, they see more than a dozen bears clustered into one tree. Curious if there were a new threat to the refugee giants of Jötunheimr, Kinisha descend the mountain to investigate. She discovers more changes in the age of Alter Idem.
Series: Alter Idem [195]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618813





	Stories of the Second Self: Hoop of Nations

"We got that cannon," Jaimez reminded, "Why are we hunting out here with bows?"

"Because, I don't want to scrape venison spray off the rocks, dirt, and trees using a spatula," Kinisha Johnson admonished her adopted son.

Nearly a month past since Kinisha convinced the other Giants of Jötunheimr to evacuate their village. She'd staved off an assault by human purists, but she was sure more would come.

Largely keeping to the Rockies, Kinisha led the others north. Occasionally, she or others would descend to the lowlands in order to scout for trouble or get food by hunting, gathering, or coming across nonperishable supplies in empty towns and roadside stores.

In was on a downhill hike that Kinisha was leading Jaimez. Both were wearing buckskins, but Jaimez needed extra protection from the cold, such as fur-lined hat, gloves, and overcoat. Kinisha's extra hiking gear was a twenty millimeter Madsen gun, rebuilt into a giant's rifle, slung on her back. She and Jaimez carried bows built for their respective sizes and a quiver of arrows on their left hip. Jaimez was about five feet shorter because he was still a teen. His bow would be better for taking down smaller game, but Kinisha's own had the power to knock down a moose, if need be.

Scanning the terrain down the mountain, Kinisha sighted a tree that looked unusually dark. At a few hundred meters, Kinisha didn't make out much more detail other than the swaying of the tree coincided with movement from the black patches. Then it hit her what she saw.

"Are those bears?" Jaimez asked.

A giant's eyes grew a little larger, which resulted in better visual acuity and slightly better low light vision, though not superhuman. However, it was Kinisha's sense of wrongness that made her hesitate in her observation, "Yes, I think they are. Black bears."

"Should we check it out?" Jaimez suggested up to Kinisha.

"I," Kinisha emphasized, "will check it out. You're going to stay right here and notch an arrow for safety. Also, lay out a couple for easy access. I'm not kidding, get yourself ready."

"Okay yeah," Jaimez said as he knelt down reach back.

Kinisha shouldered her own bow and unslung the Madsen, all the while trying to see the base of the tree that the bears had all climbed. She picked her steps on the way down for a better view of the surrounding area, but more aspens continued to be a visual obstruction.

A couple minutes into the tromp toward the bear tree, Kinisha heard a voice that sounded like a normal human man.

"Hey, that's close enough," the voice called out.

Her hand still on the pistol grip that she personally build, Kinisha kept the barrel pointed down to her left side. "I'm not looking for trouble."

"Neither are we," the voice replied, "But you're on Rez territory."

Kinisha knew that they were in Montana somewhere, but she'd never been to the state before, and so knew nothing of its American Indian reservations. "My name is Kinisha Johnson. If this is trespassing I apologize. I'm just passing through heading north."

"James McDonald," the man replied as he stepped into view. "Tribal Councilman of the Confederated Tribes of the Flathead Wolf Nation."

"Prime Councillor of Jötunheimr," Kinisha said putting a hand to her chest. "I guess we're making this a formal diplomatic thing."

"An armed diplomat?" James questioned, pointing at the huge gun.

"Bear country and you're not strapped." Kinisha observed that James wasn't carrying a gun, and then looked to the pine tree. "What's making that many bears hide up in one tree like that?"

"Ohh," James looked over at the cluster of bears and then returned his attention. "Us. Our scent confuses and scares them."

"I know black bears are pensive, but--," Kinisha drew out.

James reached up to the side of his neck. "I would've thought the hair was a dead giveaway."

Kinisha gave a confounded expression. "Sorry, I don't follow."

James looked around. "How isolated are you?"

Kinisha realized that James' hair growth pattern included the sides of his neck, and the back when he turned enough for her to see. The intelligence operator named Zach never did tell her what the other supernatural groups were.

"Up until a month ago we thought we were the only people left," Kinisha admitted, "Found out the hard way that wasn't true."

"You too, huh?" James remarked, "We had our own trouble with the white people in Missoula. Though, I think things will stay quiet for a bit."

"What happened?" Kinisha asked, hoping James would volunteer more.

"They're mostly human and Fae," James answered, "And nearly all of the Salish and Kootenai Nations spontaneously became what they call werewolves. The Navajo and Hopi Nations call us Skinwalkers and don't like us for that reason. We prefer Wolf Nation, if you would."

Raising her palm up from her weapon, Kinisha readily conceded the point. "Fine by me. You knew about giants before?"

"Yeah," James replied with a smirk. "You're kinda hard to miss."

"There's more of us up the mountain," Kinisha confessed, hoping that an American Indian, now werewolf, had more tolerance than human purists.

"Like, all of you, right?" James said, as his eyes studied her intently.

"Couldn't stay when the purists knew where we were," Kinisha said.

"Trail of Tears two point oh," James described, and then cocked his head subtly while adding, "Or-- just precautionary."

"I held off the group that came for us, but wasn't going to risk another attack," Kinisha explained, "We're trying to make for Canadian territory. Somewhere unpopulated, if the Canadians are alright with that."

James' expression shifted again, as he asked, "Would you welcome a reprieve from travel for a couple days? I could talk to the tribal council about a formal meeting between peoples."

Kinisha smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Would you care to come with me?" James waved back.

"Let me get my adopted son first," Kinisha replied.


End file.
